BPNI and Government of India

The close partnership between the organisation and the government continued throughout the period. This partnership was evident in almost all the activities of BPNI.The successful completion of the project Dissemination of Accurate Information on Infant and Young Child Feeding at National and Regional Level led to the development of Project Amrit, which has been presented to the government.


Both the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as well as the MWCD were close partners and co-hosts of the Regional Colloquium on Infant Feeding and HIV as well as APCON.

The passage of the amendments to the IMS Act was also a result of the close working partnership between the MWCD and BPNI and other partners in the movement.The BPNI continues to be a member of the National Breastfeeding Committee, National Technical Committee on Child Health, National Nutrition Mission, National Task Force for Amendments to the IMS Act, and National Task Force of BFHI.
In addition, the organisation is authorised to monitor any violation of the IMS Act and make a complaint to the Court of Law in writing.

BPNI and State Governments

BPNI is working with many state governments in different fields. In fact these partnerships together with Government of India has led to several successful achievements during these years in policy development to strengthen IYCF.

BPNI and UNICEF

The relationship between BPNI and UNICEF grew immeasurably stronger in the period 2003-2004. UNICEF India has been the principal supporter of BPNI, playing a vital role in almost every project of the organisation. The special partnership has entered a new phase with the signing of a partnership agreement for the next three years. UNICEF ROSA played a key role in the Regional Colloquium on Infant Feeding and HIV, providing not just financial support, but critical support in ensuring global participation in the Colloquium. UNICEF headquarters in New York also worked in close cooperation sending representatives to the Colloquium as well as to APCON.

BPNI and WHO

WHO continued to encourage BPNI in all its activities, particularly in the Regional Colloquium, where WHO-SEARO was a principal partner. WHO is invited to participate in all national activities.

BPNI and IBFAN

IBFAN and BPNI have always worked together in close partnership to promote the health and well being of infants and young children. IBFAN was the principal organiser behind the Regional Colloquium and APCON, which was hosted in India by BPNI. Dr. Arun Gupta represented IBFAN South Asia at the 31st Steering Committee on Nutrition Session Meeting at New York, USA from 22nd to 26th March 2004, and made a presentation on exclusive breastfeeding during the Working Group meeting on the breastfeeding and complementary feeding. He strongly recommended the inclusion of exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months as key indicator for measuring the progress of the Millennium Development Goals. BPNI serves as the focal point of South Asia region of IBFAN and the Regional Coordinating Office of IBFAN Asia Pacific region coordinating work in 43 countries.

BPNI and WABA

Besides being the Regional Focal Point for the South Asia Region for WABA for the next three years, BPNI worked together with the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action for Regional Colloquium and APCON, as well as for the World Breastfeeding Week every year, HIV & infant feeding and many ‘other works’.

BPNI and the Government of Luxembourg

The qualitative and quantitative study on the status of Infant and Young Child Feeding and compliance with the IMS Act in 49 districts of India was made possible only through funding from the Government of Luxembourg. The study has been successful in not merely throwing up new data, but also strengthening BPNI District branches, in building awareness on the issue of exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding, and creating a new tool for advocacy on these issues. The project has been successfully completed and new partnership project is under way.

BPNI and other international agencies

Among the other international agencies that BPNI partnered with in 2003-2004 were SIDA and the Netherlands Ministry of Development Cooperation (DGIS), who financially assisted with APCON. UNFPA and GTZ also supported the Conference.

BPNI and other national agencies

Numerous agencies came together to support APCON and the Regional Colloquium. These included AED Linkages, ACASH, CARE – India, CSIR, FOGSI, FORCES, IMA, ICMR, IAP, NACO, NCW, NIPPCD, NNF, SNL, TNAI and Planning Commission of India. Besides the conference and the colloquium, BPNI’s collaboration with NNF for research into newborn feeding strengthened significantly. Together with TNAI and NIPPCD, BPNI organised training programmes for nurses and anganwadi workers. The IAP offered facilities to BPNI to display and distribute their material at the IAP conferences, and IMA ensured that BPNI was present to share information on exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding at its national events.